Dear 2013 Christmas Brooke,

I wrote this letter to myself in February.  It was meant to be read right now, as we approach Christmas.  Here it is, unedited because I said it all best then and there:  

I love Christmas.  I love it more now than I did a few years back.  I'll admit that growing up took some of the magic away.  I'm thanking my Mother In Law, a trip to Canada for Christmas 2006 and Ali Edwards December Daily for bringing the Christmas magic back to me.  Christmas to me now, is what you make it.  Thanks to imagery, movies and the like my body believes that snow and winter means Christmas, but I live in Australia and have found myself having to retrain my thinking.  How bizarre is that?!  This past Christmas I learnt that the smell of tinsel, the twinkling neighbourhood lights and embracing the aisles full of Christmas bits are all signs of Christmas, to me.

I'm also finding myself making the same mistakes at Christmastime.  Forgetting things, being too busy, not remembering what I did last year, what did and didn't work.  So I'm writing myself a letter to 2013 Christmas Brooke, from 2012 (experienced) Christmas Brooke.  And here it is:

Dear 2013 Christmas Brooke,

You love the arrival of all things Christmas in the stores but you don't buy early enough.  If you see something  and really, truly love it, buy it now.  Those Christmas boxes in Big W will not be there in a few months time.  Find the balance between buying now and waiting for new stock to come in, because it does, almost daily in October and especially November.

You have made a deal with yourself that it's OK to buy Christmas gift wrap yearly.  What you loved last year you will not love this year.  So treat yourself to a full priced roll or pack and cross your fingers that Target has a 20% off sale that day.  You do not like poor quality wrapping so don't even bother looking.

If by the time you are reading this letter you have not already made gift tags for your family, buy them.  It's OK, the world will not come to an end.  Again, buy early, buy what you love.  Santas, old Santas and illustrations are particularly awesome.

Sam's Warehouse has some good stuff and sales there start early-ish December.  Check there a couple of times and don't expect the world.  Last year they had some awesome cheap tins which made good wrapping.  Buy good classic images, not cheap looking crap.  Got it?!

Head to Riot Art before Christmas day.  Their Christmas craft lines will be about half price.  Stock up for next year.  Read instructions because the craft is for the kids, not you!  Remember that green stocking with the tiny little dots of snow you did last year?

Focus food purchases a little more on the savoury side.  Each December after you have had way too many sweet things you remind yourself that you are a savoury person, not a sweet one.  Please remember this before you do your Christmas grocery shop!!  You will not drink cranberry juice on Christmas day.  You buy it every year and never, ever get round to it on the 25th.  Hope to have it gone sometime in January (although 2012's bottle is still in the pantry early February).  Fruit for breakfast - one mango, 15 cherries, one stone fruit, some grapes and one of those Christmas muffin/cupcakes is all you need for the ENTIRE family.  Don't go nuts.  It worked last year and it will work again.

December is summer.  Meal plan that way.  You want meals like nachos, tostadas, blts, fresh lasagne and salads.  You don't want to be preparing anything.  Meals like the fresh lasagne that you cook one day and eat for the next couple are like gold at this time of year.  If you buy more and expect to make things like burgers you are kidding yourself.  It wont happen.  Buy a small ham, no turkey, make a salad (I said one), get some cheese and bits and eat that for the few days after Christmas.  It's leftovers that aren't really and it feels like Christmas.

Set yourself up drinkwise, it's hot and you are thirsty all the time!  You are out A LOT at this time of year and you did awesome last year not buying even one slurpie at a drive thru.  You can do it again.  Cold bottled water in the fridge ready to go as soon as you get in the door.  Expensive lemon cordial and maybe a Cottees one too, just for old time sake.  Have some fruit to whizz up (although I'm not sure I trust you to get to it before it goes bad at this time of year!) and lemons to squeeze because homemade lemonade if it's made one glass at a time is AWESOME.

Remind your Mum really early (December 1st) not to buy scratchies for the bon bons.  I think I'm starting to realise where this Christmas forgetfulness comes from.

Kmart Christmas t-shirts are available around 8th - 21st November.  Be there before the 8th as often as you can.  If the designs are anything like last year they will sell out fast once they come in, and you know that could be God knows when.  You missed them last year and you are still kicking yourself.

Your Christmas gift ideas for the Grandparents rarely come to fruition.  They require lots of work, time, commitment and postage.  Start in October!!  They deserve the gifts that you come up with.

Last year your Mum told you that you always give thoughtful gifts.  Trust that and remember that the first gifts you give are not the last gifts you give.  Everyone deserves equal 'thought' time.  Plan teacher gifts by mid year.

Your husband does not like assembly gifts, especially on Christmas Eve.  Plan early, clear out the spare room for a 'work area' and call Shane if you must.

Have extra sticky tape and batteries on hand.

Wrap before Christmas Eve.  You don't like last minute wrapping.  Enjoy it at little bit here, a little bit there in the days leading up to Christmas.

Clear out the spare room cupboard and have this as your Christmas work area.  It's fantastic for that and makes life so darn easy!

Take the biggest, baddest, darkest bag with you when shopping in December.  You just never know what you might find and what you might need to hide from the kids.  Nanny is awesome help in this department!

Get that Christmas planning folder started.  Make gift idea lists throughout the year.  January is a good time as you are still on the Christmas high with no Christmas left.  Revisit gift ideas in April.                  

Decide your overseas gift action plan early.  Birthdays and Christmas together or separate?

And that's where it ended.  So awesome to read over again.  I'd love to insert my thoughts as I read it.  To me, from me and yep, I write perfect letters to myself.